Over 500 Illinois workers say promised raises have not arrived

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Some Illinois workers have said they’re not getting the raise they were promised.

Teamsters Local 916 said the Illinois Department of Central Management Services [CMS] is not paying workers at the Illinois Department of Transportation the negotiated wage increases in the collective bargaining agreement.

The union said that, as of July 1, more than 500 IDOT Teamsters have not received the wages they are legally owed.

JP Fians III, president of the Springfield-based Teamsters Local 916.

“Unfortunately, CMS is interpreting that certain individuals will not receive the cost-of-living increase [and] the base wage increase because they believe they go over the salary bracket,” he said. “They’ve interpreted that incorrectly since about April. We’ve filed numerous grievances.”

Fians said he doesn’t see the situation getting better “any time soon.”

“Our members are rightfully upset,” he said. “I think they’re coordinating and planning protected activities going forward.”

The Teamsters perform a wide variety of jobs for IDOT, including road repairs and engineering.

The Illinois Department of Central Management Services released a statement to WBBM. The statement says, in part, that the department is “following the collective bargaining agreement, and this will be made apparent through the grievance process.”

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